DEVASTATING CONFLAGRATION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1052, 4 June 1912, Page 3

DEVASTATING CONFLAGRATION.

Insurances Nearly £6OOO.

Shortly after 2 o’clock on Sunday j morning the fire bell—which by i the way, is the only part of a fire prevention scheme which Foxton possesses —aroused the people trom their slumbers. A glare was noticeable on the west side of Main Street audit was ascertained that the rear of Mrs Nye’s-station-ery shop —a two-storeyed wooden building—was ablaze. The fire was first noticed by Mrs Hamua, a native, residing at the rear of the billiard saloon, and it tnen appeared to have a good hold of the room used by Mrs Nye as an office, facing the Methodist Church. The flames, fanned by a northerly breeze, quickly spread through the dry timber. There would have been ample time to salvage a quantity of goods from the trout shop, but no one being in charge, the door was not forced. The upstairs portion of the building was rented by Mr Boyes, as a dental surgery, and into this tbe flames quickly spread. By this time several hundreds of people had congregated in the Main Street and the conflagration lit up the town. It was seen that the adjoining buildings —the Methodist Church, just behind and separated by about 20 leet, and a twostoreyed shop, occupied by Mr Woodroofe, butcher, the first of a block of buildings extending to Clyde Street on the north —would go. Willing hands set to work and all the seats and instruments and iron pulpit railings were removed from the Methodist Church and it was not long before this building caught. It was thought that the old billiard room, about 30ft. in front and to the south of the church would escape, and attention was diverted to the block of buildings of which Woodroofe's was the first. Salvage operations were cujj.u and goods removed trom Woodroofe’s (butcher), Bullard’s (saddler), Bradley’s (tailor), Betty’s (boot and shoe maker), Henderson’s (confectionery and refreshment rooms), A. R. Osborne’s (tailoring establishment), and Mrs Newth’s (confectionery). The flames spread with remarkable rapidity from pne place to the other. No one was directing salvage operations. It was believed that the brick wall at Mr Perreau’s building, which towered above the block now well ablaze, would check the flames and in order to further minimise the risk there, it was decided to pull down a portion of the front of the small building occupied by Mrs Newth, which stood flush against the brick wall. A narrow right-of-way separated Osborne’s shop from Newih’s and portion of the front of Osborne’s shop was pulled down and corrugated iron nailed up against Newth’s windows, and Perreau’s wood front protected with corrugated iron and wet sacks, etc. The fire was now raging through . the block, the heat being terrific in the roadway. Whyte’s Hqtel opposite was carefully watched, the front being kept damp. It was suggested at this stage to pull down the old billiard room, separated by a right-of-way from Mr Healey’s two-storeyed shop and dwelling, in order to save the latter from catching. Ample time was afforded for this to be done, but again there was no one to give the necessary authority and the billiard room caught, also the cottage behind the same. Mr Healey and a few helpers managed to save a few things, but had to abandon their task as the fire made rapid ‘headway through the old timber and the flames lept up and caught the woodwork at the top of Healey's building, tbe walls ot which were of corrugated iron. With Healey’s premises ablaze there was no hope for Snow’s boot shop and the adjoining and untenanted motor garage. A large vacant space separated the post office from the motor garage, but this fine building is practically fire proof. Interest was now centred upon the fight to check the fire at Perrean’.s and a thunderstorm accompanied | with torrents of rain fell at this juncture. The water, filling the water channels, was dammed back and gave an ample supply of slushy fluid to the bucket brigade. The flames caught Newth’s shop and although the back and centre burned furiously the flames were checked at the front by the strenuous efforts of a bucket brigade, some of whom were working from the ground whi e others directed their energies from Perreau’s verandah. It was a touch and go struggle but victory at last rested with the fire fighters. After a three hours burn the following buildings were completely destroyed :

Mrs Martin Boyle’s motor garage, not tenanted. Mr E- Snow’s boot shop and stock, building owned by Mrs M. Boyle. Mr E. Healey’s two-storeyed chemist shop and dwelling, stock and furniture. Billiard saloon, occupied by Martin and owned by Mr T. Breen. Cottage at rear of same, occupied by Martin (a native) and owned by Mr T. Breen. Methodist Church, seats, organ, etc., saved. Mrs A. M. Nye’s stationery depot, nothing saved ; upstairs ot game occupied by Mr Bojrefi as a

FOURTEEN BUILDINGS DESTROYED.

Brick Wall Checks the Flames.

INSURANCES,

dental surgery, nothing saved; building owned by Mr Alf Frase:. Two-sloreyed building, ground floor occupied by G. T. Woodroofe, butcher, sundry goods saved, building owned V. J. H. Robinson.

Two - storeyed building, occupied by Mr W. E. Bullard, saddler, most of the goods saved, owned by Mr C. Golder.

Shop occupied by Mr A. W. Bradley, tailor, most ot the goods saved, owner Mrs E. Smith, Eevin.

Shop occupied by Mr R. T. Betty, bootmaker, considerable quantity of stock salvaged, premises owned by Mrs E. Smith (Eevin). Refreshment and confectionery shop, occupied by Mesdames Henderson and Cunuiughame, piano saved and few furnishings, premises owned by J. W. Thompson (Wellington),

Mr A. R. Osborne’s tailoring establishment, large quantity of stock saved, occupied by tbe owner.

Mrs Newth’ji confectionery establishment, stock partly saved, owned by Mrs W. E. Barber.

Snow (Com, Union) stock, £SO. Healey (Com. Union) stock, furniture and fittings, £425 ; (State) building, £525; (Northern) building, ,(,'IOO.

Gardes (State) billiard table, -£SO. Mrs Nye (Com. Union) stock, £2OO ; (Alliance) stock, £4OO. Fraser (National) building, £3OO. Woodroofe (National) stock, etc., £165.

J. W. Robinson (Eoudon, L. aud Globe) building, £l5O. Golder (Standard) building .(UoOBullard (State) stock, £l5O. Boyes (Com. Union) appliances, stock, etc., £l4O. Bradley (Com. Union) stock, Betty (Com. Union) stock, £SOO. Henderson (Coin. Union) piano, £25 ; (Com. Union) stock, £SO ; (Eondon, E- and Globe) stock, £IOO. Osborne (Com. Union) stock, £2OO ; (United) stock, £IOO ; (Victoria) -fittings, £45 ; (Eondon, E. and Globe) building, £l5O.

Barber (Eondon, E- and Globe) building, £SO. Miss Newth (National) stock, £75- . , Mrs Boyle (New Zealand) two buildings, ,£l3O. Mrs Newth (New Zealand) furniture and piano, £BO.

Methodist Church (Methodist Connection), £3OO. T. Breen (Com. Union) billiard room and dwelling, £2OO.

The fire was first seen by Mrs Hamua, and was then in an incipient stage. Hamua told our reporter that ou account of the night being so rough he and his wife had arranged to stay with Martin, the native that occupied the dwelling at the rear of the billiard room, until the morning. He did not know at exactly what time the fire was noticed, but it was somewhere in the vicinity of two o’clock. They were just “turning in,’’ when his wile had occasion to go outside. She saw a reflection of the fire, and immediately gave the alarm. Martin and Foxey (another occupant ot the house) ran over to the building to do what they could whilst Hamua made off to ring the firebell, on his way calling Mr Healey. Hamua states that had there been six or eight men present when his wife first saw Me fire there is no doubt the u.... ling could have been saved.

Mr Healey was one of the first on the scene, followed closely by Dr Mandl and Mr J. Eyue. They got to work with buckets, the fire at this time having hardly broken through. Mr Healey says the fire undoubtedly commenced in the office at the rear of Mrs Nye’s shop. Mrs Nye states that when she left the shop, at about 10.15 o’clock on Saturday night, everything appeared perfectly safe. She will suffer considerable loss through the outbreak. She had just opened up some £BO worth of drapery, upon which there was uo cover.

Mr Henderson, who left bis shop at about 1.15 o’clock on Sunday morning, saw no sign whatever of fire or smoke, or smell of fire, when he passed Mrs Nye’s premises on his way home. The fire, however, must have broken out very shortly afterwards.

It is stated that Mrs M. Boyle was contemplating pulling down the unoccupied motor garage and the shop tenanted by Mr Snow, and intended erecting two up-to-date buildings in their places. In most cases it is believed that the erection of new buildings to replace those destioyed will be commenced almost immediately. In the case of Mrs Nye’s premises a lease is held by her, one of the provisions of which is that in case ot the shop being destroyed by fire, the owner is obliged to erect a new building.